Bridle



(No Modem R. W. EVANS.

BRIDLE.

No. 579,341. Patented Mau. 23, 1897.

z/WWM.

gym

ATTORNEYS.

'me mams PETERS co. pHoro-umu., wAsmNmoN. u c.

answer for both.

linie Sra-rnc Arent rtree.,

RICHARD 7. EVANS, OF BAIRD, MISSISSIPPI.

BRIDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,341, dated March 23, 1897.

Application filed Tune 5, 1896. Serial No. 594,892. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD W. EVANS, of Baird, in the county of Sunflower and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bridles, of which the following is a specification. My invention is an improvement in bridles, seeking to provide a simple and efficient coustruction of bridle especially adapted for work-harness, but which may be employed in riding or driving bridles and which may be quickly adjusted to any suitable size and may be made in connection with the fittings of material always at hand on an ordinary plantation; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter' described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the bridle as in use.A Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bridle complete. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the side fittings. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the throatlatch hook. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the brow-band hook, and Fig. C is a detail view of the snap-hook for connecting the side strap with the bit.

The bridle is usually formed of cotton rope, such as is usually used for plow-lines and is commonly on hand on farms and plantations, but other kinds of line may be employed, and, if desired, fancy woven or colored lines may be employed in making fancy riding or driving bridles, and lines of any desired size may be employed, the fittings presently described being adapted to receive the same.

The bit A may be as shown or of any other suitable form or construction, and the side portion or strap at one side may be looped through the ring of the bit, as shown at a, or the snap-hook connection (shown at of) may be employed at one or both sides, as may be preferred.

The side or main iittings B are alike in construction, and the description of one will The fitting B is preferably a light casting flattened to properly rest against the side of the animals head and provided with longitudinal channels b b' and a laterally-openin g channel b2. The channels b b eX- tend entirely through the fitting from end to end of same, while the channel h2 opens out of one end, the upper end of the iitting, extends for a short distance in a longitudinal direction, and then branches off and opens laterally out of the edge of the fitting at a point about midway between the ends of the same. r

The iitting also has at one edge a staple B', forming a bearing for engagement by a connectinghook on` either the brow-band or the throat-latch, as the case may be, and this staple B is preferably located, as shown, on the edge of the iitting opposite that out of which the channel b2 opens.

The fittings B receive the cord or rope and permit its disposition to form the head portion C, side portions C', brow-band D, and throat-latch E, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. In so disposing the rope the fittings .may be placed side by side and reversed, with their respective staples B projecting in opposite directions. The free end of the rope may then be passed down through the channel b2 of one fitting, with its free end left sufficiently long to form the brow-band with the hook F at its extremity. The other end of the rope may then be carried and passed down through the channel b of the other iitting and brought up through the channel b', carried thence down through the channel b of the iirst fitting, then up through the channel ZJ lof first iii-ting, and over and down and out through the laterally-opening channel b2 of the second fitting, the free end being disposed to forni the throat-latch and receiving the fitting G. This disposition of the rope forms a threefold head portion, twofold side portions, and the single-fold throat-latch and brow-band; but it will be understood that the particular manner of disposing the rope and passing it through the side fittings may be varied without departing from some of the broad principles of my invention, comprising the rope or line and suitable fittings, whereby the length of rope can be disposed to form the different parts of the bridle, it being understood that the brow-band hook and the throat-latch hook engage the staple of the opposite side fitting. One or both of the side portions receives the snap-hook Il, adapted to snap into the bit-ring and having its main portions h provided with the pair of channels h', `and the intermediate partition h2 receiving the loop of rope and permitting its ad- IOO justment to secure the desired size of the bridle.

The brow-band hook F has a portion f, which may be bent to clasp the end of the brow-band and may be forced open and reapplied to the saine or another brow-band, as may be desired, the part f being made of malleable metal, and so being capable of being spread and pressed together va number of times without destroying its usefulness;

The iittin g G on the throat-latch has a main portion g, provided with channels gl, and an intervening partition g2, suoli channels receiving the end of the throat-latch and permitting its adjustment to suit the size of the animal. The hook G is swiveled to the portion g and may be turned into alinement therewith, when the hook will be closed and form practically a safety-hook, or may be turned out of such alineinent to permit the adjustment of the rope and also to permit the catching of the hook into and out of its staple.

All the fittings, except the brow-band hook, can be readily slipped by the fingers to adjust the bridle as may be desired. Where desired, blinds may be attached, but they are not used to a great extent on work-stock.

With the described fittings any farmer can make his bridle out of plow-line or similar rope, no buckles, seams, or rivets being required.

In practice the side iittin gs and other metal parts can be made of an ysuitable size and in anydesign, fanciful or otherwise, that may be desired.

The throat-latch may fasten with swivel hool-piece, as shown in Fig. l, or with the channeled snap shown in Fig. 6.

1. The herein-described bridle, consisting of the side iittin gs each having two longitudinallysextended channels and one channel which opens at one end out of the top of the fitting and at its other end laterally out of one edge of said fitting, such fitting having at its edge opposite said lateral opening a staple or bearin g for engagement by a hook, and the strand of rope passing through said three channels of the side ittings and disposed to form the three-part head-band and the two-part side portions and having its free en ds carried out through the lateral openings ofthe side fittings and disposed to form the brow-band and the throat-latch, said band and latch having at their free ends hooks to enga-ge the bearings of the fitting opposite that from which such latch and band exten d, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a bridle substantially as described, a side fitting provided with two longitudinallyextended channels opening out of the opposite ends of the fitting and a third channel opening at one end of the fitting and at its other end laterally out of an edge of the litting, and having at its edge opposite said lateral opening a keeper or bearing for engagement by a hook on a connecting-strap, substantiallyT as shown and described.

3. A bridle comprising the side fittings hav! ing two downwardly-opening channels and a channel for the throat-latch and brow-band and the rope disposed in said fittings and having portions passing downward through one downwardly-openin g channel and up through the other and looped between said channels for connection with the bit, substantially as shown and described.

. RICHARD W. EVANS.

X'Vitncsses:

B. B. LINDsEY, XV. E. McMAHoN. 

